TIPS – Chapter 104

“Well, whether they agree or not is one thing, whether we go or not is another.” Song Jingwei thought for a moment and suggested to Shen Dongming, “Here’s what you should do…” The idea was a bit sneaky, even underhanded, but as Shen Dongming listened, he kept nodding. At the same time, he hesitated, unsure. “Can we really do that?”

“Of course,” Song Jingwei replied. “Start with courtesy, follow with force—what’s wrong with that? If they don’t make it difficult, we won’t need to go that far. But if they’re the ones who are unjust first, then your response won’t be seen as unrighteous.”

In truth, Song Jingwei’s idea was crude and straightforward, but it really helped vent some anger. Shen Dongming had harbored resentment toward the main family for decades, always on the verge of exploding. He gritted his teeth and said, “Fine, let’s do it!”

There were still a few days left before the Qingming Festival. Shen Dongming, carrying some gifts, paid a visit to the main Shen family’s residence for the first time this year. Because of the longstanding tension between their families, Xu Da, the servant who answered the door, didn’t dare let him in without permission. He said uneasily, “Please wait a moment while I go inform Old Master Shen.”

Shen Dongming was used to this kind of treatment and simply nodded. “Alright, go ahead.”

Xu Da entered the study. Old Master Shen was fiddling with some chess pieces, a pot of tea by his side. Coincidentally, Shen Dongqi was home on break this year. Upon hearing Xu Da say, “Old Master, Third Master, someone’s here… it’s Dongming,”

“Hm?” Hearing that his eldest son had come, both father and son were surprised. Then Old Master Shen thought for a moment and seemed to understand the reason for Shen Dongming’s visit. He gave a cold snort.

“Father, I’ll go see him,” said Shen Dongying, heading toward the door with a suspicious look.

“If he’s here about the ancestral rites, tell him to go back,” Old Master Shen said coldly, holding back his temper. He was still furious that, despite several wedding celebrations for his grandson Shen Junhe, the second son’s wife had personally sent invitations, yet no one from the eldest branch had shown up. That had infuriated him. Both Shen Dongying and his wife Wang Shi were deeply offended too and vowed never to try warming those cold shoulders again.

Upon hearing this, Shen Dongying understood—so the eldest had indeed come for that matter. Of course, Qingming was approaching, and they should be preparing to visit the ancestors’ graves. If Shen Dongming still wanted to attend and pay respects, he would have to come begging.

This thought was immensely satisfying. Finally, he’s the one who has to bow his head!

“Hmph! So he has a day like this too!” Shen Dongying clearly remembered how they had been rejected. If it hadn’t been for second brother Shen Dongqi constantly urging reconciliation with the eldest, he would never have humbled himself to send those invitations.

But what he hadn’t realized was that Liu Yue had been the one going to deliver those invitations. Even if Liu Yue had not gone, the rest of them hadn’t put in any real effort. In fact, they constantly criticized the eldest branch behind their backs. What had been their purpose for reconciliation back then? Of course, it was for benefits—not family ties. Did the main family even have such a thing as familial affection for the eldest branch?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt this was a great opportunity to vent. Shen Dongying practically rushed out. To someone watching, it might seem like he was excited to see his elder brother. And in a way, he was—but what came after the meeting would be quite a different matter.

Shen Dongming waited outside and finally saw his third younger brother come out. Putting on a polite smile, he said, “Third Brother, is Father home? I came to discuss the ancestral rites.”

So it is about Qingming, Shen Dongying thought. He didn’t return the smile, keeping a stern face. “You’ve come at the wrong time, Eldest Brother. Father is still angry.”

Shen Dongming was taken aback. “Angry? What did I do to upset him?”

“Plenty,” Shen Dongying said, eyes straight ahead. “Father invited you several times for family dinners to ease tensions, but you refused every time. Now that you need something, you come smiling and friendly. What kind of unfilial behavior is this?”

“You’re exaggerating, Third Brother. As a descendant, honoring our ancestors is my duty. I also want to show filial piety to our parents, but they’ve never given me that chance, nor do they care to acknowledge me as their son,” Shen Dongming said calmly. “If they truly wanted to reconcile, I would gladly let bygones be bygones and restore our ties. But unfortunately, they never meant it sincerely. Everything was about interests. If a bond is broken for profit, and only rebuilt again for profit, should I really accept that with open arms?”

“So you still consider yourself a descendant of the Shen family? Then ask yourself—what have you done? What right do you have to claim the main family was never sincere?” Shen Dongying sneered. “But there’s no point in saying any of this now.” He added, “Father just said—if you’re here about the ancestral rites, don’t bother.”

“So… he truly doesn’t acknowledge me as his son anymore?” If even paying respects was denied, that was tantamount to severing ties.

“I couldn’t say. But you should go home. Who knows what the future holds? It all depends on Father.” Shen Dongying almost said, it depends on how you behave, but as the most favored son of the main family, he didn’t want to lower himself to Shen Dongming’s level. If the main family never accepted him again, that was something he’d be more than happy to see.

“Why don’t you go ask Dad again if he truly made that decision? I sincerely want to return to the ancestral hall and pay respects to our ancestors,” said Shen Dongming earnestly. If the old master was truly willing, then he wouldn’t need to go through with something that would surely infuriate the rest of the clan.

“No need to ask. His intentions are already very clear. Just go back,” Shen Dongying said. Seeing his eldest brother lowering himself like this made him feel thoroughly satisfied.

“Third Brother, I’ll wait here. Can you at least help me ask?” Shen Dongming stood at the entrance and didn’t plan on leaving just yet. He said, “I’ll wait here for Dad’s answer, even if it takes until nightfall.”

“…” Shen Dongying turned his head to look at him. He didn’t expect his eldest brother to be this persistent, but in a way, that made it all the better—it meant he could torment him even more. So he said, “Stand here for as long as you like. In any case, Dad’s stance won’t change.” After a glance, seeing that Shen Dongming really wasn’t planning to leave, he flicked his sleeve and went back inside.

He still had to report this to Old Master Shen. Once back in the study, he said, “Dad, Eldest Brother insists I ask you again. He said if you don’t give him a clear answer, he’ll keep standing outside and won’t leave.”

Those words sounded a bit threatening to Old Master Shen. With a cold expression, he said, “What does he mean by this? Is he threatening me now?”

“Well, I wouldn’t dare interpret it that way,” Shen Dongying replied. “But he did say he would wait until nightfall.”

“Hmph! Let him wait until dawn for all I care. Even if he stands there until tomorrow, I won’t change my mind,” said Old Master Shen. He was indeed infuriated by his eldest son. It wasn’t like he hadn’t given Shen Dongming a chance last time—he still remembered word for word what Liu Yue had said upon returning.

“Then… should we just let him stand there? Won’t it cause gossip?” Shen Dongying asked worriedly. After all, their family was highly visible in the village.

“What gossip could there be…” Old Master Shen hesitated for a moment. But for the sake of preserving his pride and temper, he firmly said, “Don’t worry about him.”

Shen Dongying was secretly delighted, but then remembered something else and asked, “There’s one more thing, Dad—Eldest Brother asked me to ask you this too.” He paused for a beat, then said, “He asked whether you not allowing him to enter and pay respects to the ancestors means you no longer acknowledge him as your son.” Truthfully, Shen Dongying also wanted to know what his father really thought.

“Hmm?” Old Master Shen considered it seriously—but really, there was nothing to consider. He had no emotional attachment to Shen Dongming anymore. After so many years, the relationship had gradually faded, leaving only resentment. He said, “If that’s how he wants to see it, let him. I am the head of the family. If I say he can’t come, then he can’t come.”

Shen Dongying wasn’t exactly satisfied with the answer, but he wasn’t dissatisfied either. At the very least, it confirmed that his father had no expectations left for the eldest brother.

And so, Shen Dongming continued standing outside the ancestral home’s gate. When he grew tired of standing, he would sit; when sitting became exhausting, he would lean against the wall and doze off.

Around mealtime, the gate of the ancestral home quietly cracked open, and Xu Da peeked out. He saw that Shen Dongming was indeed still outside and whispered, “Brother Dongming, are you hungry?”

Shen Dongming pulled out some dry rations from his coat and said with a grin, “I’ve got food here. I won’t go hungry. Thanks, Brother Xu Da.”

“That’s good. You eat, then. I’ll head back to work,” Xu Da said. He had only come to check if Shen Dongming had anything to eat. Since he did, he quietly returned to his tasks.

“Alright, go on then,” said Shen Dongming. He knew the Shen family placed strict demands on their hired hands and didn’t want Xu Da to get scolded.

Xu Da closed the gate again, leaving Shen Dongming alone outside. He continued chewing on his fairly soft steamed bun with great relish. True to his word, he stayed outside the Shen family home until nightfall before finally going home.

Not long after, gossip about the event started circulating throughout the village. After all, both families were high-profile, and any friction between them quickly became the talk of the town. This time, it was obvious the ancestral branch was in the wrong.

People said, “No matter what, Shen Dongming is still a Shen. He’s never done anything heinous to the ancestral family—everything he has, he built on his own.” Many still remembered how wretched the eldest branch once was and sighed, “The ancestral family is being far too heartless.”

In past years, even if they didn’t care about the eldest branch, at least they let them participate in tomb-sweeping and ancestral rites. But now? This year they outright refused to let them pay respects.

“Keep your voices down—I heard that Shen Dongming’s eldest grandson isn’t even registered in the family genealogy.” That piece of information came from someone in the ancestral household, so it had to be true.

“Seriously?” someone said in shock. “I wonder what the eldest branch did to offend the ancestral family so badly.”

“Heh, isn’t it all because of that school thing? You really don’t know?”

Everyone mulled it over—it did seem to be the case. Back when the eldest branch was still struggling, their relationship with the ancestral family was at least cordial enough for them to participate in rituals. But ever since they became wealthy, the conflicts between them only intensified.

“Is your father back?” Yang Shi saw her husband returning late at night, tired and weary, and hurried up to take the things from his hands. She quickly instructed their son, “Xi’er, go get a basin of hot water so your father can bathe and warm up.” A light drizzle was falling outside, and Shen Dongming’s clothes were damp and clinging to him, with droplets of water on the ends of his hair.

“Sigh, this day has finally passed,” Shen Dongming said with a resigned tone. It had truly been a long and hard day. He then hurried to take a bath, change out of his wet clothes, and finally enjoy a hearty dinner.

With a dark expression in his eyes, Song Jingwei asked, “They really made you stand the whole day? Not even a bit of compromise?” That Shen family clan really didn’t take Shen Dongming seriously. It must have been because they didn’t get any benefit from the previous encounters. If they had truly wanted to reconcile, this would have been the perfect opportunity.

“Yes,” Shen Dongming took a sip of strong tea and sighed. “Except for Brother Xu Da who came to check on me at noon, not a single person came to see me.” He hadn’t had much hope for the Shen clan to begin with, but being treated like this still left him bitter.

Everyone in the house fell silent. They all felt sorry for Shen Dongming and thought he didn’t deserve this.

Originally, Song Jingwei had thought that if the Shen clan was willing to back down this time, even if just to maintain surface-level peace, they could consider renewing ties. Unexpectedly, the clan didn’t even consider it and outright rejected Shen Dongming.

Song Jingwei couldn’t find the words to comfort this elder who had lived such a difficult life and remained quietly silent.

Yang Shi silently held her husband’s rough hand. No matter what, he still had her, their son, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Their family would only get better from here on out.

“It’s okay. I knew it would end like this. I’m not too upset,” Shen Dongming saw the concern on his family’s faces and laughed cheerfully, truly feeling there was nothing to be sad about.

Shen Junxi looked at his father’s hearty smile and smiled as well. He handed the baby in his arms to his father and gestured, “You were out all day—baby missed you. Hold him for a while.”

“Hahaha!” With his grandson in his arms, Shen Dongming didn’t have time to think about anything else and immediately started doting on the child.

“Your father…” Yang Shi looked at her husband, who seemed completely content with just having a grandson, and smiled helplessly. But this was good—better than seeing him downcast.

“Don’t worry. Father has a broad heart,” Shen Junxi said, glancing meaningfully at his wife and father. He gestured to his mother—he didn’t know exactly what Song Jingwei had discussed with his father, but he was sure something had been arranged.

“That’s true,” Yang Shi said, looking at his expression.

Since things had turned out this way, Shen Dongming discussed the next steps with Song Jingwei again. He asked, “There aren’t many days left until Qingming. Are we really going to do it this way?” He was willing, but he still had some hesitation in his heart.

“Why don’t you ask around first—see what the villagers are saying?” Song Jingwei suggested after a pause.

“Alright,” Shen Dongming immediately understood and eagerly went to find out.

He heard that many villagers were talking about the incident between his family and the clan. Apparently, everyone knew he had stood outside the Shen family’s gate all day yesterday. And the public opinion was one-sided—people thought the clan was in the wrong and unreasonable.

Shen Dongming listened to the discussions and returned to tell his daughter-in-law.

After hearing it, Song Jingwei said, “Since that’s what people are saying, then let’s go ahead with our tomb-sweeping.”

Yes, this was the plan he had originally suggested to Shen Dongming. It was simple and direct. If the Shen clan wouldn’t let them into the ancestral hall, then fine—they would go directly to the graves to pay their respects.

“Alright, I’ll have your mother prepare the chickens!” Shen Dongming said and quickly asked his wife to go catch the birds.

Their baby was sleeping in the wooden crib. While watching over the baby, Song Jingwei sat and cut sheets of ceremonial paper into neat stacks for the tomb-sweeping. Yang Shi later took them outside, laid them out on the ground, and sprinkled fresh chicken blood over them to prepare them.

“Since we have a new child in the family this year, I specially slaughtered two large roosters to properly honor our ancestors,” Yang Shi said as she made the preparations. According to tradition, when there’s a new addition to the family, they should kill an extra chicken and buy more firecrackers too.

“Alright, Xi’er, come on, let’s go,” Shen Dongming carried a load of chickens on his shoulder pole.

Shen Junxi followed with firecrackers and incense on his own pole and left the house behind his father.

“Be careful and come back early,” Song Jingwei called from behind. Once they were gone, he and Yang Shi went back inside. The baby was still sleeping.

Back when this plan was first brought up, Yang Shi had felt uneasy—would people gossip about them for doing this? Would the relationship with the clan become even worse? But since everyone in the family supported it, she didn’t voice her worries. Now that the two men had gone out, she said anxiously to her daughter-in-law, “Jingwei, are you sure this is really the right thing to do?”

Song Jingwei knew exactly what she was worried about and smiled, “No, it’s definitely not the right thing to do. Doing this will certainly tear things apart with the clan.” Though, truthfully, they were already torn apart.